Page 122 - Reading Mercury

from Dover, by the coach and delivered at the White-horse cellar. They are said to
have arrived from France a few hours before 1 and to have been sent to England for
the use of some great French personages. The casks were upwards of fifteen hundred
weight, and the price of conveyance was 26 guineas.

John Wesley (1703-1791)
Yesterday morning the remains of Mr. John Wesley were deposited in a piece of
ground near his Chapel, at the Foundry, Moorfields, amidst the tears and sighs of an
innumerable company of his friends and admirers, who all appeared in deep mourning
on the occasion. A sermon previous to the funeral was preached by the Rev, Dr,
Whitehead, with suitable hymns etc.
Mr. Wesley was interred, as Whitfield was, in his gown and cassock, band, &C.
Most of the chapels belonging to the Methodists are hung with black on this occasion.
About seven years ago Mr. Wesley caused a deed to be enrolled in Chancery by
which the superintendence of his chapels and societies was committed to 100
travelling preachers, now in various parts of these kingdoms. One of these
missionaries is the Rev. Dr. C. Cooke, now in America, whose mission is supposed to
have increased the converts in the West India islands, and other parts of America, to
near 50,000, since the conclusion of the war. A college called a Wesley’s College,
was founded by him in South Carolina, in 1789.

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Mon 28 March
A gentleman of Bristol has received a letter from Quebec, giving an account of two
severe engagements, between the Americans and the Indians, in the Shawnese
country, which is within about four or five days march of one of our most valuable
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ports, (viz., Detroit) the first engagement happened the 16 of October last, and the
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second the 29 ; the Americans were 2500 strong, being the main body of their army;
the Indians about 800 in ambush, who in the first engagement killed 300 of the
Americans, and in the second about 200; they first poured in a flight of arrows, and
then began their tomahawks, making a most horrid slaughter; they would, it is said
have made an end of 200 more that were hemm’d up in a swamp, had not one of their
dreamers advised them to desist, in consequence of a dream he had the night before
the last action; however, the accounts say, that the Indians have totally routed them,
with very little loss on their side, having taken the principal part of their baggage, with
some of their cannon; when the express came off with the account, they were still in
pursuit of them; one Indian t is said tomahawk’d 30 himself. General Harmer
commanded the defeated party, General St. Clair being behind with 500 more, tho’ it
does not appear that he was in the engagement. The Indians took the night before the
first battle three American officers, who informed them it was their intention to attack
Detroit in the Spring, they then put them to a cruel death.

Late accounts from the Mississippi positively mention, that the Spaniards have
erected a fort at the Walnut-hills, and garrisoned it with a considerable number of
troops; and that they are determined to oppose the settlement intended to be made
there by Col. Holder, and a number of Kentuckians, under the auspices of the
Georgians. That, in consequence of this, many of the Kentuckians are embodying, and
intend marching down, shortly to dispossess them of that advantageous situation.

The commotions at Martinique have not in the least subsided. The last accounts
from St. Pierre mention, that every thing there was in a state of the utmost confusion.

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